Flaker and method of producing relatively thick flakes of a congealed liquid



Sept. 9, 1930;

E. FLAKER AND METHO F PRODUCING RELATIVELY THICK FLAKES OF A GEALED LIQUID Filed 001:. 1927 TAYLOR 4 1,775,177

gwuml ot Patented Sept. 9,. 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWARD A. TAYLOR, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOE, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, -'1O THE GRASSELLI CHEMICAL COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE FLAKEB AND METHOD OF PRODUCING RELATIVELY THICK FLAIKES OF A CONGEALED v LIQUID a Application filed October 1a, 1927; Serial No. 826,034.

This invention relates to a method of flaking a congealed liquid,and particularly to a procedure for producing relatively thick flakes of the congealed liquid,-and to ap- 5 paratus for carrying this procedure into effeet. 7 v I It has been proposed to congeal a liquid to be flaked, such as, for example, molten caustic soda, soap, sodium sulfide, niter cake, I

10 normally solid aromatic hydrocarbons and the like, by means of a' cooled rotary drum mounted to rotate with a small portion of its peripheral surface dipping into the liquid, and to scrape the resulting coating of congealed substance from the perlphery of the drum in the form of flakes. The cooling of the rotary drum commonly has been effected by circulating a cooling fluid (e. g., water, brine, or the like) therethrough. The flaked product possesses the advantages of being homogeneous in composition, is easily packaged, is easily removable from its container, and because of its physical form (being in the form of thin, flat pieces or laminae) presents a large surface to the action of a solvent. For reasons of an economic'and commercial nature, it has been found desirable to increase the thickness of thecongealed coating (i. e., of the flake) but this desideratum hitherto has been found to be unattainable to any material extent due to the fact that in practical operation even employing slow movement of the drum and high concentrations of solution, eflicient cooling, etc., the flake thickness was insufiicient.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method of, andmeans for, produce ting relatively thick flakes of congealed liquid. It has now been found that relatively thick flakes of congealed liquid may be produced by a method, involving the essential operations of depositing a liquefied, normally solid, material upon a relatively cool surface having a rotary direction of movement, effecting the congelation of the said material thereupon, and removing said congealed material therefrom in the form of flakes, characterized in that an initial layer of the liquefied material is deposited upon said cool surface and'there congealed and at least one additional layer of the liquefied material is deposited upon and congealed upon said initial congealed layer prior to the removal of the congealed material from the cool surface in the orm of flakes. Generally, it is preferable to so operate the process that the successlve coatings are relatively thin. By the practicing of this procedure there may be built up a relatively thick layer of congealed material (com rising a. plurality of relatively thin laminae which layer may be removed from the cool surface in the formof thickened flakes.

A full understandin of the present invention may be had which is a description of. an application thereof to the production of flaked sodium om the following,

sulfide; it being understood that the inven tion is not restricted to the preparat'on of any specific congealable and flakable material nor to the specific means hereinafter described, except as is required by the appended claims. Thus, the invention may, with equal success, be a plied to the preparation of relatively thick akes of a wide variety of materials, such as, for example, niter cake,

to which'there is supplied sodium sulfide,

preferably, constantly. As'the drum is rotated horizontally upon its axis there is deposited upon its peripheral surface a thincoating of the molten sodium sulfide. The

effective congealing area of the drum, the' speed of rotation of the drum, the temperature and speed of circulation of the cooling fluid, and the concentration (and temperature) of the molten sodium sulfide are all so regulated with respect to each other that the coating of sulfide congeals before one revolution of the drum has been completed.

as are found desirable, effecting thereby the building up of a relatively thick layer comprising a plurality of laminae of congealed sulfide. At the conclusion of a predetermined number of revolutions of the drum a scraper mechanism, actuated synchronously with the drum, is automatically thrown into operative position with respect to the drum periphery for the proper period of time, and

removes the thick layer therefrom, breakingthe same into flakes.

The manner in which the scraper mechanism acts, and its relation to the other elements of the apparatus will be shown by reference to the accompanying drawing which is an elevation, partly in section, of an apparatus suited to the carrying out of the hereindescribed process.

The liquid to be flaked is contained in the pan 1, which may be positioned in the upper portion of a heating unit 2, from which sulficient heat may be supplied to the liquid to prevent its premature congelation. 3 represents one of a pair of brackets extending upwardly from the top of theheatingunit 2, supporting the hollow bearing shaft 4. 5 rep resents the hollow c lindrical metal drum, which is so positione as to dip into the pan 1. Scraper 6 is mounted on the turnable axis 7 towhich also is attached the lever 8. Lever 8 normally is held in raised position and the scraper 6 therefore is normally held out of contact with the peripheral surface of the drum 5.

Cams 9 and 12 are fixed to the rotatable shaft 17 which latter is caused to rotate in coordination with the drum 5 in such manner b that said shaft and camsmake one complete revolution for every two, three,'or any other predetermined number of revolutions of said drum. While the present specific disclosure sets out a mode of operation wherein the ratio between the revolutions of the drum and of the cams is as 3 is to 1, it will be understood that the inventive concept covers ratios of 2:1,4z1orthe like. Q

When the cam 9 engages the fulcrumed lever 10, chain 11 is lowered, thereby dropping lever 8, which depends from chain 11,-

and tending to bring the scraper, 6 into operative contact with the peripheral surface of the drum 5. Immediately thereafter the cam 12 takes the. position shown in the drawing, thereby allowing the lift end of the fulcrumed lever 13 to drop. To said lift end of lever 13 is attached the weight 14: by chain 15. The sudden drop of weight 14 effects a hammer-like blow upon the end of lever 8, forcing the edge of the scraper 6 through the built-up deposit on the drum and into contact with the peripheral surface of the drum.

Cams 9 and 12 turn once for each three revolutions of the drum 5. During one revolution of the drum, i. e., one-third revolution of cam'9, the latter is active in raising lever 10 which permits the scraper 6 to reinain in contact With the drum. During the remaining two-thirds revolution of cam 9 i. e., two revolutions of the drum) the lever 10 is lowered by counterpoise 16, thus moving scraper6 out of contact with the drum surface and permitting the formation of the built-up deposit.

Once for every revolution of cam 12, (i. e., three revolutions of drum 5) the said cam permits the weight '14 to drop. The latter quickly is raised again (by means of the force applied bycam 12 against lever 13) so as to prevent too severe pressure of the scraper against the bare drum surface once the ,scraper has been forced through the built-up deosit. p From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the present invention resides in a novel procedure in the art of preparing flakes of congealed liquid, which procedure is characterized by the fact that an initial preferably relatively thin layer of liquefied material to be flaked is deposited upon a relavtively cool surface having a rotary direction of movement and there congealed and at least one relatively thin layer of said material is deposited upon and congealed upon said initial layer ior to the removal of the resulting relatively thick laminated layer of congealed material from said cool surface in the form of flakes. It will be understood, also, that the means for carrying out this procedure is restricted only to the association, with a rotatable member and means for depositing thereupon a coating of a liquid to e congealed, of means for removing said coating after congelation, said removing means being so actuated as to be brought periodically into operation to remove said coattional relatively thin layer of the liquefied material, and-removing the resulting relatively thick layer of congealed material from the cool surface in the form of flakes.

2. Apparatus for preparing flakes of con gealed liquid, including a liquid receiving member, means for depositing thereupon a coating of the liquid to be congealed, means associated with said member and adapted to remove said coating after congelation thereof, and means for periodically actuating the removing means.

3. Apparatus forgreparing flakes of a congealed liquid, inclu ing a rotatable member, means for deposit-ing thereupon a coating of the liquid to be congealed, means associated with said member and adapted to remove said coating after congelation thereof, and means for alternately moving the removing means into and out of contact with said rotatable member at intervals representing complete revolutions of said rotatable member.

4. Apparatus for reparing flakes of a congealed liquid, inclu in a rotatable member, means for depositing t ereupon a coating of the liquid to be congealed, means associated with said member and adapted to remove said coating after congelation thereof, and means for moving the removin means into contact with said rotatable mem er for a period representing a complete revolution thereof and for moving said removing means out of contact with said rotatable member for a period representing a plurality of complete revolutions of said rotatable member.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 in which theremoving means comprises a scraper, and in which the means for alternately moving the removing means into and out of contact with the rotatable member is actuated in synchrogism with the rotation of said rotatable memer. a

6. Apparatus for (preparing flakes of a congealed liquid, inclu ing a rotatable member, means for depositing thereon a coating of the liquid to be congealed, means including a scraper element associated with said member and adapted to remove said coating after congelat-ion thereof, means for alternately moving the removing means into and out of contact with said rotatable member at intervals representing complete revolutions of said rotatable member, and means for applying an impact to said scraper element when said scraper element is moved into contact with said rotatable member.

In testimony whereof I afiix my si ature.

EDWAltD A. TA R. 

